Always Almost Always
by TheNaturalBlonde
Summary: Katie and Travis live in a small town, and growing up next to each other was a blast. Now that they're all grown up, how will things change? Girlfriends, drama, and anything in between. How will Katie and Travis deal with the change? AU, Tratie, First fic
1. Chapter 1

**Well hey there! It's me, TheNaturalBlone. This is my first story on this site, and I thought I should make it in my favorite fandom, Percy Jackson and the Olympians. This is just a little Tratie fic. You know, Katie+Travis=Tratie.**

**Please review with criticism!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson and the Olympians and all the characters in the books.**

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**Chapter One**

_Katie's Point Of View_

Sitting in a tree usually calms me down a bit. This time, though, it's not working. Nothing can calm me down from what Travis Stoll did to me today. Stoll and his stupid, hothead friends, with their stupid, high-tech Super Soakers.

I hate Travis Stoll.

I tattoo those words into the back of my eyelids: I _hate _Travis Stoll. I repeat them until I start to doubt them.

I can't hate Travis Stoll. I just can't do it. Sure enough, when I turn my head slightly to the right, off in the distance is Travis' house, sitting right next door to mine.

Growing up in a small town can be hard. I was born here and I barely get to see big towns. My Daddy and I live on a farm out here. My Mom died when I was 5 from cancer. It was hard at first, knowing I would never see her shining face again. Now I've gotten better. I don't cry over her anymore. Whenever someone mentions her name or talks about her, I smile, because I know she lived a good life and was happy.

Soon though, I am broken out of my trance by tires grinding on gravel and an engine stopping. I jump down from the tree and grab my backpack that I had thrown at the trunk in my haste, sprinting towards the house quickly. I rush into the kitchen to find my Dad in the kitchen, putting down the fruit he had bought on his way home from the conference today.

"Hey Daddy!" I say, hugging him tightly. As I hug him, I catch a whiff of his scent. It's fresh, and he smells like the grain in our fields.

"Hey Katie-Bug." He says, hugging me back. "I picked up takeout for dinner." He said, breaking the hug and dangling a bag from the local Chinese restaurant in my face.

"Yum!" I say, snatching the white bag out of his hand and going over to the table. I set the bag down on our dark wood table. Dad and I made it a few summers ago out of some of the wood of the dying trees on the farm. Of course, that reminds me of Travis. I was so excited about the table that I had made with my Dad that I ran over to his house and dragged him by the hand to see it. He had smiled at me and with his smile that was missing a tooth in the front at the time (We were only 7) and told me I had done a great job. My Dad invited him to bring the family over and we all had dinner together.

Travis has a twin brother named Connor and they live with their Mom. Their Dad had left them before they were born, but their Mom takes great care of them though. We live next to them, and I grew up with them. We spend every Fourth of July together and set off fireworks in this huge clearing in back of our houses. I was dreading the Fourth this year though, because he had this annoying girlfriend, Drew.

Drew. She is everything any girl wanted to be. She is popular, pretty, head cheerleader. She is my worst nightmare. She has everything I want.

"Are you okay Katie-Bug?" I hear my Dad say. I am snapped out of my trance and begin eating my Chinese again.

"Yeah. Fine." I say with a mouthful of food. I laugh and swallow my food. After I swallow, I repeat what I said.

"You excited for the Fourth this year?" My Dad asks. He has some kind of big surprise planned and he won't tell me, but continues to ask me if I'm 'excited'.

"Yeah." I lie, nodding my head unenthusiastically. "It's gonna be great this year."

"I know." My dad says, too excited to see through my lie. I roll my eyes and pick up my food, going over to throw away my trash.

"See you later Daddy. I've got homework to do." I say, grabbing my backpack and heading up the stairs.

"See you Katie-Bug. Love you." My Dad says, watching me go up the stairs.

"Love you too Daddy." I say, walking up the stairs and retreating to my room. I sit on my bed, crossing my legs in the Indian style. I usually wouldn't mind the nickname 'Katie-Bug', but since my fight with Travis, I don't want to hear it.

_He gave the nickname to me about ten years ago. We were out playing in the fields while my Dad worked. I had seen a lady bug, and I picked it up, letting it run all over my hand. _

"_Lady Bug. Hey! That sounds like your name Katie." He said._

"_What do you mean?" I ask, giggling a little. The Lady Bug tickled my hand and it was uncontrollable._

"_Lady Bug, Katie-Bug. That's what I'll call you! Katie-Bug!" He said triumphantly. _

I never minded the nickname. I always loved it. He told it to our families and it caught on, so everyone calls me Katie-Bug now.

But then, I reminded myself, I _hate _Travis Stoll.

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**Hope you liked it! Tune in for Chapter 2 soon. Please review and rate!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow. Well, sorry for disappearing and abandoning this story, but I'm back now, and excited to get writing again.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own PJATO or any of the characters in the books.**

**Chapter Two**

_Travis' Point of View_

So get this. Yesterday, I played the best prank on little Miss Gardner. Honestly, it was awesome. Connor and I rigged up a bunch of old Super Soakers, and filled them with some of Mom's fruit punch, bright red. So, right as Katie was coming out of the school, my friends and I got her with the soakers. It was so cool.

Well, it was cool until she gave me a very mean look and then stalked of to her car, driving away. I don't know what I did though. I mean, it was just a harmless prank, right? I can't help but think she hates me now.

_Katie can't hate me… We're best friends. Katie, Connor, and I. That's the way it's always been…. The three of us._

I can't help but let my steps falter as I walk into school. Luckily, I regain my composure before anyone notices. I don't know what I'll do if Katie hates me. She's my Katie-Bug… Nothing can change that.

And then, there she is, her beautiful curly caramel hair falling down her back as she stands at her locker. It seems the stars have aligned for me, as none of her friends are standing around her.

Approaching her, a sly smile spreads across my face easily. I lean my shoulder against the locker next to hers and stick my hands in my pockets.

"Hey Katie-Bug." I say, letting my gaze wander over her.

"Don't call me that." She says, her voice stiff. If I listen closely I can detect a slight annoyance in her tone also.

"Why not? You're my Katie-Bug." I say, lightly pushing her shoulder in a friendly way.

"Travis, stop." She says, turning towards me. "I'm not in the mood right now." Her voice is quiet as she speaks, her books held tightly to her chest.

I knit my eyebrows together. Katie sounds…. almost mad at me. _Did I make her mad with the prank? It was just a joke. A harmless joke._

I stand there, my expression confused until the bell rings, and Katie is on her way without another word to me. I head off to my first period, still a bit concerned about Katie.

Luckily, we're in chemistry, which comes easily to me. I sit down at my lab table, with my partner, who also happens to be my girlfriend. I place a sloppy, distracted kiss on her cheek in greeting and open my textbook.

"Travis babe," Drew says, tugging on my arm. "You should come to my house today after school."

I shrug, a bit unconcerned. "I don't think I can. Coach is going to run practice late tonight."

"But babe…" She whines. "We haven't gotten to be alone in-"

Thankfully, for me, Drew gets cut off by our teacher, who is starting the lesson.

I can't pay attention though, my thoughts caught up in Katie. _How can Katie hate me? She can't. _The truth is, I've been harboring a small crush on Katie for the past 10 years of my life. This year though, I pushed it aside to date Drew.

But I can't ever stop thinking about Katie. The way her hands are sometimes dyed red from picking strawberries all day. Or the way her eyes crinkle a little bit on the sides when she laughs.

_Snap out of it Stoll. You have a beautiful girlfriend, and you're living every guy's high school dream. You can't keep thinking about Katie. Sure, she's absolutely perfect in every way, but she doesn't like you as more than a friend._

The next thought I have scares me the most.

_In fact, right now, she hates you._


End file.
